Entertainment
New weapons expected at Beijing military parade
China will showcase a range of new weapons during a vast military parade on Wednesday, in a show of strength that is being seen as a challenge to US military dominance.
Military experts have been analysing social media photos and footage from several recent rehearsals, which have shown anti-ship missiles, cutting-edge underwater drones, anti-missile systems, and more tech that could pass by Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3.
While officials have kept secret the list of hardware to be displayed in front of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian’s Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, many military enthusiasts have already spotted significant new systems, including what is rumoured to be a gigantic laser weapon.
The military has said all the equipment presented is domestically produced and “in active duty”.
‘Eagles’ to counter US ships
Four new anti-ship missiles several metres long have been seen: the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. “YJ” is short for “Ying Ji”, which means “eagle attack” in Chinese.
These missiles can be launched from ships or aircraft and are designed to inflict critical damage on large vessels. The YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20 models could be hypersonic, meaning they can fly at least five times the speed of sound.
“China must develop powerful anti-ship and anti-aircraft carrier capabilities to prevent the United States from posing a serious threat to China´s national security,” Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former Chinese army instructor, told AFP, referring to tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Underwater drones
Two new, extra-large torpedo-shaped unmanned underwater vehicles have been spotted during the rehearsals.
The first, labelled “AJX002”, is 18 to 20 metres (59-66 feet) long, according to the website Naval News. The second was hidden under a tarpaulin.
While China still lags behind the United States in surface naval power, according to Naval News, it has the world’s largest programme of “extra large uncrewed underwater vehicles” (XLUUVs) — with at least five types already in the water.
Anti-missile shield
Still shrouded in mystery, the HQ-29 is described by some Chinese analysts as a “satellite hunter” capable of intercepting missiles at an altitude of 500 kilometres (310 miles), outside the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as satellites in low orbit.
Mounted on a wheeled vehicle, the system features two missile containers, each approximately 1.5 metres in diameter.
Its capabilities could make it China’s most advanced interception system to date and one of the most powerful in the world.
World’s ‘most powerful’ laser?
A huge rectangular vehicle in camouflage colours covered with a tarpaulin could be a defence system capable of shooting down missiles and drones using a powerful laser, according to the South China Morning Post daily.
The X account “Zhao DaShuai”, which is linked to the Chinese military, claims it is the “most powerful laser air defence system in the world”.
New nuclear weapons?
Intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the ultimate symbols of power, are expected to feature prominently in the parade.
“China will showcase a new generation of nuclear weapons,” analyst Song Zhongping told AFP.
Nuclear weapons, like the other hardware which will be displayed during the parade, “will help equalise the military power balance between China and the US”, he said.
New armoured vehicles
Next-generation vehicles have been spotted in recent days, notably a new tank — slightly smaller than the Type 99A main battle tank, reportedly in service since 2011.
If this and the other equipment displayed on September 3 is indeed produced domestically and in service, as China claims, then the armed forces “have undergone a significant upgrade vis-a-vis other major advanced militaries around the world”, said James Char, a professor specialising in the Chinese military at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
“However, we won’t be able to assess the actual capabilities of all the weapons and equipment under this ceremonial (and non-operational) setting,” he added.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who stole the spotlight at Kate Middleton’s annual Christmas carol concert, will be joining King Charles and rest of the royals for a major gathering at Sandringham.
While Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children are anticipating to reunite with their other cousins they will be the prominent young royals that the public will be waiting to see when they walk out on Christmas Day.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who are doting and protective parents to their three children, had set a strict rule to shield them from some royal traditions, which could probably leave them in distress, a royal chef pointed out.
There are very specific protocols set in place for royals, senior and non-working, young and old alike, which have to be followed to the T. Even with the young age, a royal is expected to be disciplined in the royal stair etiquette, Darren McGrady revealed to Harper’s Bazaar previously.
Darren has experience working for both late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana. He explained that the children, in order to learn ‘polite conversation’, had to be separated from William and Kate at meal times.
“Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had to learn very early on what they can and cannot do,” he said. And until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly, they were not allowed to sit with all the elders at the massive dining table set for the family.
For William and Kate, the move had been made a bid to protect their children from the pressure from avoiding any slip-up. It seems that the children have depicted with their poise that they just might be ready for the big step.
- Internet speed in Pakistan is not up to world standards: IT minister.
- Says effort underway to complete auction in first week of Feb 2026.
- Pakistan ranked 97th, 146th for mobile and broadband speed.
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee has approved auction of 600 MHz spectrum which would not only improve the internet speed but also pave way for the roll out of 5G internet in the country, Information Technology and Telecommunication (IT) Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint presser along with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the IT minister said the federal government was eyeing completing the internet spectrum auction by early 2026 after the ECC’s nod.
Expanding on the matter, IT Minister Khawaja said that spectrum advisory committee’s recommendations will be taken to the cabinet soon and that consultation with other relevant parties, including the telecom sector, will be ensured during the process.
“Due to a lack of spectrum, internet speed in Pakistan is not up to world standards,” the minister noted, adding that the government is going to hold an auction of 600 MHz spectrum.
Shaza further said that efforts were underway to roll out 5G in six months.
Highlighting that the internet formed the basis of the entire digital system, she said that the government will increase both the speed as well as internet access and that efforts were being made to complete the auction in the first week of February 2026.
The spectrum auction announcement comes as slow internet speed, coupled with intermittent outages and restricted access on various occasions, are not uncommon for the netizens in the country.
As per Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Pakistan ranked 97th globally with regards to mobile internet speed which was measured at 24.79Mbps in November. The statistics were much worse for fixed broadband speed where the country ranked 146 with download speed of mere 18.27Mbps.
However, last month, the country significantly expanded its international internet capacity with the launch of the South-East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE) 6 submarine cable system.
The 19,200-kilometre high-capacity fibre network connects the country to major digital hubs between Singapore and France.
The system, offering over 100 terabits per second (Tbps) of total capacity, provides one of the lowest-latency routes between Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe.
Under the deployment, Pakistan had been allocated 13.2 Tbps, of which 4 Tbps has been activated immediately — a major boost that will support cloud computing, data centres, fintech, e-commerce, streaming platforms and the broader digital economy.
The new SEA-ME-WE 6 network features more fibre pairs and more than double the capacity of earlier SEA-ME-WE systems, ensuring greater resilience across high-traffic Asia-Europe routes.
Following a recent attack at Bondi Beach, Australia, which killed 15 people, two videos began circulating on social media. One claimed that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed Pakistan for the attack and announced a visa ban on Pakistani nationals. Another purported to show Pakistanis celebrating the incident.
Both claims are false.
Claim
A six-second video shared on December 15 shows Australian PM Albanese announcing the arrest of a “Pakistani-origin terrorist” linked to the Bondi Beach attack and suspending all visas for Pakistani nationals.
Fact
This claim is false. The video’s audio has been manipulated using Artificial Intelligence. The original footage is from a press conference on August 3, 2022, three year before the Bondi Beach attack. In the 15-minute press briefing, Albanese speaks about climate change, not the attack.
The presser can be seen here
Additionally, Hiya, a deepfake detection tool, rated the online video’s audio 1 out of 100, indicating it is a deepfake. No credible Australian media outlet has reported any such announcement by the PM.
Claim
A 20-second video circulating online allegedly shows Pakistanis celebrating the Bondi Beach attack.
Fact
This claim is false. The video predates the Bondi Beach attack and has been online since 2023. It was shared by several social media users in 2023 which can be seen here and here.
Verdict: Both videos circulating online are misleading and falsely linked to the Bondi Beach attack.
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